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Bill-and-hold arrangement

Definition

A transaction in which a seller invoices a customer for goods that remain physically on the seller's premises at the customer's request. Legitimate when specific criteria are met (customer request, identified goods, scheduled delivery); fraudulent when the customer request is fabricated or coerced.

Related terms

Bill-and-hold
An arrangement where title passes and revenue is recorded even though the seller retains physical possession of the goods at the buyer's...
Channel stuffing
A scheme in which a company ships excess inventory to distributors or retailers near a reporting period's end to record revenue, knowing...
Days sales outstanding (DSO)
A ratio measuring how long, on average, a company takes to collect payment after a sale: (accounts receivable / revenue) x 365....
Fictitious revenue
Revenue recorded for a transaction that did not occur at all, or that involved a related party cycling funds to simulate customer...
IFRS 15 / ASC 606
The converged international (IFRS 15) and US (ASC 606) standards that replaced predecessor revenue rules from 2018. Both apply a five-step model:...
Performance obligation
Under IFRS 15 and ASC 606, the distinct promise to transfer a good or service to a customer. Revenue can only be...
Premature revenue recognition
Recording revenue in an earlier period than the standards permit, typically by treating an uncompleted performance obligation as satisfied. The transaction is...
Round-tripping
A circular transaction in which cash or assets flow between two or more related parties so that each records revenue without any...
Side letter
An informal or undisclosed written agreement between a buyer and seller that modifies the terms of the primary contract. Side letters are...

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